VICTORY FOR ELEPHANTS!CITY OF SANTA ANA PUTS A STOP TO ELEPHANTRIDES AT THE SANTA ANA ZOO 12/20/11

On Friday, December 16, 2011 the City of Santa Ana announced that elephant rides would no longer be offered at the Santa Ana Zoo.

Last Chance for Animals (LCA) worked with the Mayor and Santa Ana City Council to educate them about the abuse elephants endure when forced to provide rides. LCA personally met with the Mayor about this cruel and inhumane practice and provided City Council members and demonstrators with the LCA "Elephant Sanctuaries - Not Captivity" campaign materials.

Dixie, forced to provide elephant rides

An LCA investigator who worked undercover as an elephant groom supplied the Mayor with first hand accounts of the abuse elephants are subjected to in order to make them perform for rides.

Some of the abuse elephants are forced to endure includes:

physical pain from the use of bullhooks, metal pokers and electric shocks;

psychological torture from being kept in unnatural conditions and cramped quarters;

onset of fatal t-related illness resulting from being held in cramped quarters and being forced to perform unnatural acts (such as walking monotonously around in tight circles on concrete, asphalt or other hard surfaces for hours and hours each day); stress induced behavioral problems including potential for aggression brought on by the rides, crowds and noise

One of the many public protests against elephant rides at the Santa Ana Zoo

Your actions made a difference! LCA would like to thank all of our supporters who sent letters, made calls, spoke at City Council meetings, and participated in protests and demonstrations at the Zoo.

A dedicated group of regular protesters in front of the Santa Ana Zoo

According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) there is only one other permanent establishment offering elephant rides, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California. Six Flags does not offer elephant rides during the winter season but will start offering rides again in March.

Unfortunately, there are many other events that offer elephant rides through private companies. Many county fairs and even some special events hire private companies to provide elephant rides. These private companies do not have the oversight of an organization such as the AZA and the elephants in their care are routinely abused and treated inhumanely in order to make them behave for rides.

What You Can Do To Help:

1). Contact James Reid-Anderson, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation and ask him to stop this cruel and inhumane practice.